Caves on the Nepperberg
The caves on the Nepperberg in Schwäbisch Gmünd are an ensemble of six rock caves artificially created in parlor sandstone . Their history and time of origin is unclear. Speculations extend into Roman times and beyond. It is assumed that, like the rock chapel of the neighboring St. Salvator, they were used as a place of worship or a sacral cave . Later they were used for agricultural and craft purposes or, for example, as a beer cellar . They are located on private property and are only accessible a few days a year. The property was built with a villa in 1863 by gymnastics father Johannes Buhl , also due to its proximity to these caves. Buhl laid out a late romantic garden , which is still partially preserved today , into which the caves were integrated.
The western cave consists of two rooms with a window each and was probably used as a stable in the meantime. To the west of this there are four arched niches, which in the design suggest a use as figure niches. They were later integrated into Buhl's greenhouse .
The middle cave is covered with a ashlar parapet from the 19th century. This cave, at least in the meantime used as a forge , has a smoke outlet in the ceiling right from the start. This is followed by a multi-room cave system. In this a corbel of a station of the cross with an inscription from around 1630 was found. This also bears the name of the builder Kaspar Vogt .
The eastern cave is a cellar with three arched entrances with gable designations . A column from 1916 is kept there, adorned with a coat of arms and a damaged inscription.
literature
- Richard Strobel, State Monuments Office Baden-Württemberg: The art monuments of the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd. Volume 4: Churches and secular buildings outside the old town, districts. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 2003; ISBN 3-422-06381-1 , pp. 226-227.
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 48 ′ 4.6 ″ N , 9 ° 46 ′ 59.5 ″ E